Three Very Beautiful Prayers for the Dying

As noted on the home page of this site, a longtime reader of ours is expected to die within the next two to fourteen days. Although the prayers below, which were taken from the Pieta book and found on the webiste of The Friends of the Poor Souls: THREE VERY BEAUTIFUL PRAYERS FOR THE DYING, I am posting them on this site so that readers can have these prayesr readily avaiable as they or one of their loved ones approaches death.

Thank you for your prayers for our friend as she approaches death.

Narrative That Precedes the Three Very Beautiful Prayers for the Dying

There once was a Pope in Rome who was surrounded by many sins. The Lord God struck him with a fatal illness. When he saw that he was dying he summoned Cardinals, Bishops and learned persons and said to them: “My dear friends! What comfort can you give me now that I must die, and when I deserve eternal damnation for my sins?” No one answered him. One of them, a pious curate named John, said: “Father, why do you doubt the Mercy of God?” The Pope replied: “What comfort can you give me now that I must die and fear that I’ll be damned for my sins?” John replied: “I’ll read three prayers over you; I hope, you’ll be comforted and that you’ll obtain Mercy from God.” The Pope was unable to say more. The curate and all those present knelt and said an Our Father, then the following prayers:

The Three Very Beautiful Prayers for the Dying

Prayer 1. Lord Jesus Christ! Thou Son of God and Son of the Virgin Mary, God and Man, Thou who in fear sweated blood for us on the Mount of Olives in order to bring peace, and to offer Thy Most Holy Death to God Thy Heavenly Father for the salvation of this dying person… If it be, however, that by his sins he merits eternal damnation, then may it be deflected from him. This, O Eternal Father through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Dear Son, Who liveth and reigneth in union with The Holy Ghost now and forever. Amen.

Prayer 2. Lord Jesus Christ! Thou who meekly died on the trunk of the Cross for us, submitting Thy Will completely to Thy Heavenly Father in order to bring peace and to offer Thy most Holy Death to Thy Heavenly Father in order to free…(this person)…and to hide from him what he has earned with his sins; grant this O Eternal Father! Through Our Lord Jesus Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in union with the Holy Ghost now and forever. Amen.

Prayer 3. Lord Jesus Christ! Thou Who remained silent to speak through the mouths of the Prophets; I have drawn Thee to me through Eternal Love, which love drew Thee from Heaven into the body of the Virgin, which love drew Thee from the body of the Virgin into the valley of this needful world, which Love kept Thee thirty-three years in this world, and as a sign of Great Love, Thou hast given Thy drink, as a sign of great love, Thou has consented to be a prisoner and to be led from one judge to another and as a sign of great love Thou has consented to be condemned to death, and hast consented to die and to be buried and truly rise, and appeared to Thy Holy Mother and all the Holy Apostles, and as a sign of great love Thou hast ascended, under Thy own strength and power, and sitteth at the right hand of God Thy heavenly Father, and Thou has sent Thy Holy Ghost into the heart of Thy Apostles and the hearts of all who hope and believe in Thee. Through Thy sign of Eternal love, open heaven today and take this dying person… and all his sins into the realm of Thy Heavenly Father, that he may reign with Thee now and forever. Amen.

Concluding Narrative

Meanwhile the Pope died. The curate persevered to the third hour, then the Pope appeared to him in body and comforting him; his countenance as brilliant as the sun, his clothes as white as snow, and he said: “My dear brother! Whereas I was supposed to be a child of damnation I’ve become a child of happiness. As you recited the first prayer many of my sins fell from me as rain from Heaven, and as you recited the second Prayer I was purified, as a goldsmith purifies gold in a hot fire. I was still further purified as you recited the third prayer. Then I saw Heaven open and the Lord Jesus standing on the Right Hand of God the Father who said to me: “Come, all thy sins are forgiven thee, you’ll be and remain in the realm of My Father forever. Amen!”

With these words my soul separated from my body and the angels of God led it to Eternal Joy.

As the curate heard this he said: “O Holy Father! I can’t tell these things to anyone, for they won’t believe me.” Then the Pope said: “Truly I tell thee, the Angel of God stands with me and has written the prayers in letters of gold for the consolement of all sinners. If a person had committed all the sins in the world, but that the three prayers shall have been read (over him) at his end (death), all his sins wil be forgiven him, even though his soul was supposed to suffer until the Last Judgment, it will be redeemed (freed).

The person who hears them read, he won’t die an unhappy death also in whose house they will be read. Therefore take these prayers and carry them into St. Peter’s Basilica and lay them in the Chapel named the Assumption of Mary, for certain consolation. The person who will be near death, who reads them or hears them read gains 400 years indulgence for the days he was supposed to suffer in Purgatory because of his guilt. Also who reads this prayer or hears it read, the hour of his death shall be revealed to him. Amen!